Dark Horse
by Razzella
Summary: [Semi-AU.] It wasn't until much later I realized trading my soul to an immortal being might have been a bad idea, but by that time I was so absorbed in my new life I had forgotten what it felt like to die. I forgot who I once was, and my life before I was born to this world, but I had let myself forget the reason I did this to begin with; that was the worst part. [OC]
1. Chapter 1

So, I totally did this. Yeah. I did it. Started a new story with a new OC and stole away the Naruto universe to suffer my abuse. Sorry, guys. I will be putting out updates to my other stories, but between college and all my other commitments I have just sorely fallen behind. BUT I'M NOT DEAD! No worries.

c:

- Razz

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**Dark Horse** [d-are-ck ha-or-s] _noun_

**_Noun_**

1.) A candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds.

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_"What price are you willing to pay, little one?" _

_"Take my eyes."_

_"Your _sight_? What an interesting bargain for a soon-to-be ninja."_

_"What you're giving me is more beneficial in the long run, is it not?"_

_"… true. I think you have yourself a deal, little dove."_

_"Thank you."_

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A wail was the first thing I heard when I entered this new world; it took a long moment before I realized the voice was my own – and even longer before I realized there were other voices cooing to me in a language I didn't understand. Vaguely, I could recognize a select few words that lead me to believe it was Japanese, but I wasn't certain until a louder voice – however squeaky and obnoxious – squealed the word "kawaii". There was more gibberish before I felt a sharp pain in my head [accompanied by another loud wail erupting from my tiny body]; suddenly everything they were saying began making sense.

"–it appears she may be blind, Kenshin-san."

"Blind? You can't be serious–"

"I am, sir. I don't think you should–"

I ended up falling asleep, much to my dismay. Being a grown woman in a childs body was going to be awful, it appeared.

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. . .

Three years later, I had learned my name was Hato – and there was a tickling at my memory that said I should find this ironic – and that I was born in Iwagakure. However, there was still the problem of my inability to see. My father was a strict man, I realized quickly; even trapped within the walls of this blind childs form I could tell he was very rough – and he didn't much like me. I was the youngest of my siblings – I had two elder brothers and a sister – and they were where I found my comfort. The twins, naturally, were closer to each other than to me, but they always made a point to include me with clan meetings among other things, and occasionally clean up fathers mess when he managed to make me cry. They tried. My sister took little-to-no interest in me after the first time father turned on me with his harsh words.

Our mother was fairly cold as well. Not in the sense of not loving me – she loved us all dearly - and when father wasn't looking she would tell me stories and help me with my disability. She taught me basic chakra control, which benefited me heavily when I realized I could see other people's chakra. I wasn't sure why the presence of my father made her turn apathetic towards me, but I played connect the dots after the first few screaming matches I heard in the middle of the night. Most including me, who she was avidly defending; usually saying something about how he was self-righteous prick and she wasn't sure how she fell in love with him in the first place. It made me smile.

So ask you can imagine, when I heard her hushed giggles and whispers in the night with someone that was clearly not the angry man known as my father, I didn't mention it. After all, he never listened to me anyway; as a woman trapped in her daughter's body, I thought she deserved to be happy. Even if it was sneaking in her lover while the grumpy man was away on missions.

Though, when she woke me in the night with said man and carried me off into oblivion, I wasn't so sure that was the best course of action.

"Where are we going?" I spoke softly, taking my cue from their own hushes voices. I liked the mans voice – it was so very gentle and quiet – they both hesitated. I saw their chakra tremble slightly, though I wasn't sure what it meant. I predicted they were nervous.

"We're going to Kirigakure, little one." His voice cut through the sound of their running and I tensed, sightless eyes widening.

"Really? For how long?"

Neither of them answered me, and I didn't bother repeating myself before I let myself drift off to sleep in my mothers arms.

. . .

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I had yet to learn his name, when he and my mother were discussing if I should be put in the Academy. I was terrified – and she was ecstatic. Mother wanted me to be a ninja more than anything else, it seemed, though I couldn't for the life of me understand why. I had never adored the man so much as when he pointed out my obvious handicap, and that we were living in Kirigakure. I didn't understand what that had to do with anything – though something else tickling my mind made me feel as if I should – but it subdued my mother for another month or so.

In that time, the man – who I had taken to calling 'Daddy' per my mothers request – began teaching me instead. He taught me how to send out my chakra to feel the area around me, which was basically just a quick glimpse of a blue outlines that I learned were actual objects. It was helpful in the long run, and once he realized this helped my independence he set out to teach me other things, like how to read chakra. Well, that particular trick evaded me, but he was very encouraging in hopes I would get it.

And it was in one of his lessons that it happened.

"Okay, Hato, just focus your chakra to your hands–" As it turns out, he was something of a medical ninja; I was very surprised. As I followed his instructions, I felt it. Something was very, very wrong, but when I murmured my nervousness he told me it wasn't unusual for one to be nervous; just focus.

I apparently focused too hard.

I, of course, didn't see it, but I heard a blast of power that tossed me back a few feet; Daddy cursing loudly as he caught me and gently set me down. I didn't realize I was crying until my mother was by my side, murmuring softly in my ear about how this was a good thing while she pet my hair and told me I that I shouldn't cry. All I could think about was how this was not a good thing – this was awful.

I started the Academy three weeks later.

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After begging and pleading my parents relented in letting me have an outfit that covered most every part of my body. After blasting the fish to pieces I had refused to let them touch me – much less touch anything else without being sure I was aware of where my chakra was. I even went so far as to stop casting out my visual net, but after the first few times slamming into the wall I realized I had no option as I was not yet adept enough to get around based solely on my other senses.

So, I was covered head to toe in a mixture of gloves, leggings, and skin tight clothes; adorning a hoodie and a pair of goggles – the latter to hide my sightless eyes, as advised by Daddy.

"Mommy.." I murmured, feeling suddenly shy of the now much more affectionate woman as she finished helping me tug on my hoodie and then my gloves. "What… what do I look like?"

Her hands paused, apparently in thought as her chakra quivered sadly. "You're a beautiful girl, little dove. Your hair is white like snow–" I remembered that color from some unknown source in my mind – I didn't see snow, however, I saw clouds. "And your eyes are golden–" She didn't mention the fog that I knew covered them, again, from some part of my mind that could identify things I had never physically seen.

"Your skin is pale white, only a few shades darker that your hair, and you have this cute little beauty mark below your left eye. You're a beautiful girl, Hato." I felt tears fill my eyes as an image I would never be able to confirm was painted for me, glad she had put my goggles on and was now behind me braiding my hair around itself so that it felt short though heavy; tugging my hood up over her creation with a sigh.

"Now let's just get you off to the Academy, shall we?" Her mood brightened considerably, though from her chakra I could see it was a bit forced. She mourned for her child that would never see the world; that pierced my heart. I wished this body would grow faster so that I could escape this child-like confusion as we stepped out the front door.

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"Remember not to be afraid, Hato." Daddy spoke abruptly, catching my attention as we reached our destination. Apparently it wasn't very far from our home, which I was grateful for. "Being afraid implies weakness, and weakness isn't taken lightly – even among Academy students. You have to be perceived as strong, or they'll eat you alive."

Cold fear shot through me at his words, my childish imagination conjuring up a shark-like boy with blue skin munching down on me. For some reason, I felt as if I should befriend him, but how to befriend a figment of your imagination?

"Yes, Daddy." My voice was quiet but calm, as it always was. I wasn't very good at expressing feeling, which was apparently going to come in handy here. Finally, something I was good at. With final goodbyes being short – Daddy said that showing affection was bad in public – they shoved me into the school and left.

Dear Jashin, I was going to die.

Mingling with my nervousness was a sudden wave of nausea, though it didn't show through as I carefully made my way to the designated classroom. I did this by the teacher designated to guide us, and was sure to flare out my chakra enough that the path became obvious to me for next time. I had been warned not to reveal my blindness to the other students, however, the teachers were all aware. Apparently Daddy was close to some of the teachers; they had agreed to discreetly keep in mind my handicap.

I was more than a bit grateful for this as I took my seat in the front of the class – ignoring the peculiar feeling of being watched as I took to drawing circles on my desk. I was one of the first there, much to my pleasure, and took the time to take a few stabling breaths before focusing my chakra next to fill the room for a moment. There were… four other chakra signatures; the one closest to me was particularly large for children our age. Inwardly, I scowled. There were two others closer to each other in the far corner of the room, and I could vaguely hear them chatting to one-another before my attention was focused on the body now leaving the net – the teacher who lead me here, presumably. When he once again faded into the blackness that was my vision, I was surprised to find the pair of chakra signatures had moved closer – now across from me.

"Well, well, looks like we've got a newbie!" I resisted the urge to flinch – he was closer that I thought.

"I'm Hato Kenshin." I introduced quickly – more out of habit than desire to actually know them – and I saw his chakra swirl in amusement.

"I'm Suigetsu Hozuki and this is my brother–"

"–Mangetsu." I blinked as a quick flash of information hit me from seemingly nowhere. They could transform into water. Hozuki clan could transform into water. It was easy to tell which voice fit which chakra, considering one was playfully swirling along with the teasing voice while the other seemed mostly uninterested. Well, not uninterested, per say, but he was trying to appear cool and collected. The underlying twitch and squirm of his chakra said he was equally playful as his brother, if not more so.

I offered a slight smile, nodding to them slightly. "It's nice to meet you." The large chakra closest to me flared in agitation and I tensed, turning my attention its direction. Unfortunately, this was apparently not what my new-found "friends" wanted; I felt my face grasped between two hands and squished together as they gathered my attention again. Children were so strange.

"You're gonna be Ringo-senseis brat, right?" I hadn't heard of this, actually. "That's the rumor, since Fuguki-sensei brought you here; where are you from, anyway?" So was that Daddy's name? No, that didn't seem right. There was another flash of information – Fuguki was one of the Ninja Swordsmen. No, he wasn't Daddy.

"And why are you living with Teshima-sensei? I don't remember him having a – HEY!" Apparently Mangestsu got tired of his brothers rambling; gave him a firm whack on the head.

"How do you expect her to answer if you don't shut up?" I couldn't help it – I giggled against my hand before deciding to respond; ignoring the flicker of embarrassment from the chatter box.

"I haven't heard of being anyones… _brat_." The word was muttered under her breath as she sighed. "I'm from–" _We can't tell anyone where we're from, Hato. Not a soul. _"A village on the outskirts of Water. Ah.. Teshima-san is letting my mother and I stay with him at the moment." If that was what was being said, it was probably on purpose. After all, her life was to forever be shrouded in deceit now; there was another tickling warning her something was wrong now. There was something different and unfamiliar. My worries were only amplified when the pair sat on either side of me – the calmer of the pair sitting between me and the stronger chakra as the class filled with other students; our teacher being unnervingly familiar as he reached the front of the class.

The voice gave him away; had I not been prepared for the unexpected, I might have fainted in absolute terror when the information flashed through my mind.

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"Since when do Swordsmen teach Academy students?" I heard my Daddys voice as I exited the Academy, accompanied by the familiar snort my sensei; I tried not to flinch.

"Since the Mizukage gave the order – believe me, Teshima-san, I'm not happy teaching a bunch of brats all day." As it turned out Fuguki was teaching at the Academy temporarily – much to my two new companion's pleasure – and I was physically pained not to cringe. There was a reason I didn't like the man, I was sure, but currently all I had was a gut-instinct he was trouble.

"It's absolutely ridiculous." Daddy seethed as I approached, watching his chakra flicker in well-contained rage. Why was it so bad? I mean, sure, I was absolutely horrified – one of the cruelest ninja in Kiri was teaching me, for Jashins sake – but I wasn't _angry_. They had a lot to offer us as shinobi.

"I couldn't agree more." Fugukis chakra swirled in dark amusement and I suppressed a shiver as they both apparently caught sight of me and calmed. The larger man ruffled my hair, causing me to stiffen in surprise at the affectionate action – was I supposed to know him? "Though I think it's a favor to yourself, Hitoshi – after all, it's your daughters… _disability_ that was so conveniently pointed out before I was assigned. You know how fond your brother is of you." Daddys chakra twitched and spun, clearly irritated by the suggestion. I was still stuck on 'brother'. Daddy had a brother? I had an _uncle_?

"I doubt Yagura has the time to worry about me and my family." More information made me tense slowly; my chakra flaring out quickly in alarm as a face was given to the name. A panicked hiss whispered to me that I needed to save him – I needed to save the Mizukage.

From what?

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It had been a year before I introduced myself to the large chakra that sat so close to me – though my Hozuki brothers both attempted to talk me out of it at first. We weren't particularly close – they harassed me, I occasionally shared test answers, etc. – but they were loyal, at least. Mangetsu in particular was very protective of me, though I think this may be because he was the eldest of our trio; soon him, the large chakra, Suigetsu, and myself were to be put in different classes. I wasn't sure why, but Fuguki had informed us that this would be our last year together, and that we should pick up our training.

I didn't hesitate to obey.

But that is all beside the point; a year later I met Kisame. I had expected his harshness, but I was startled to find he was downright _cold_. I couldn't see him, but when I would greet him I could feel the narrow-eyed suspicion radiating from him. For some reason that hurt my heart; I wanted to help him. With what, I was unsure, but I did. When he had given me his name the images flashing quickly through my head had caused a migraine, and I was not surprised at all when he was able to smell my nervousness every time afterward.

"I want t-to train with you." I wasn't sure what had possessed me that day, but the words tumbled out before I had any kind of a handle on them. I felt Mangetsu tense beside me, but promptly ignored his swirling chakra – Suigetsu just seemed more amused than anything. Kisames large chakra curled in amusement, though it had hints of irritation and even more distrust.

"No." I was disappointed – possibly a bit shocked, really – when he denied me so easily, but didn't question it. I was beneath him, after all; he was going to grow to be an amazing ninja, whereas I… I had no part here. My sightless eyes closed behind my goggles as I nodded, accepting the response with as much grace as I could have.

That was the day they all moved to separate classes; I was once again left alone.

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"To slow, little dove." Daddy commented as I lurched forward, palms up and ready to blast him to pieces. The unfortunate tree located behind him ended up with the full force of the blast as he flipped behind me; I felt frustration begin to ebb at my patience. After months of my mothers begging, I submitted to letting them teach me about my… kekkei genkai. Apparently I was capable of using the explosion release; while this greatly pleased me, I was irked to know I couldn't use it publically. No one could know I was Iwa born – and, much to my dismay, so was my special talent. However, it was a wonderful backup plan in a life or death situation – even if it prevented me from being a medic as I so desired. Though, due to my mothers chakra testing it showed that my natural chakra nature was water. Baffled, of course, they continued on ignoring the fact I held one of the most medic-based natures available. Go figure.

I felt a sharp pain in my back before I flew forward; letting out an alarmed squeal as the chakra surrounding me spun in a rather disorienting way before I landed – rolling pathetically before hopping to my feet and spinning to meet him head on. I was just fast enough to catch his arm; I felt his chakra strain in panic as he swung around and punched me square in the head. Though the blow made me stumble, I was not as easily disoriented as those with vision, and I kept my grip on his arm. My chakra flared just enough to show I would have blasted him to pieces before he relaxed and I allowed him free.

"Better – but had this been a real fight you would have a kunai lodged in your head and most probably your lung." He poked me in the forehead and I stumbled slightly, narrowing my eyes a bit at him.

"I'm not fast enough." I summarized and felt him twitch in amusement before his chakra curled around me, giving me a familiar warmth as he healed my major bruises and cuts. Not to mention my burning hands, for that matter. I didn't realize my kekkei genkai could cause the user this much damage, but after my first sessions panicked tears mother had explained it took a while before I would learn to keep the effects from injuring myself.

"I'm going to give you weights; you're going to wear them at all times, alright, Hato?"

"Yes, Daddy."

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I was seven before I understood why they split us all up; the warning came in the form of a cocky Kisame – and a less so Mangetsu, though he was equally proud of himself for his victory - who apparently felt it in his heart to warn me of the dangerous new exam. Unfortunately for me, my exam would be sooner-rather-than-later, and I was left winded at the realization I was going to die.

"You still wanna train, birdy?" Kisame teased and I scowled to myself. Maybe… this was his way of showing me he hadn't forgotten my desire to befriend him? His swirling chakra seemed a bit pained (more than enough confirmation for one more confident in themselves), though I didn't comment as I nodded and dropped into my usual stance.

"Of course, Hoshigaki-san."

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"Hato." Mangetsu managed to break through my trembling with a hand on my hair. As it turns out, he and Kisame ended up on the same genin team with some random clan girl – Mangetsu predicted I would end up on a team with Suigetsu, who I hadn't seen much of since we were split besides the occasional appearance when I was practicing with his brother. "Relax, you're the smartest in your class."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm the best fighter." I hadn't told him I was blind, but I feel as if he knew there was a reason for my terror; he was good about keeping me calm. He and Kisame had both immediately taken me under their wing to train with – I wasn't complaining, despite their harsh fighting styles – and them on top of my parents own training lessons should have me completely prepared.

But Jashin, I was going to be killing my _classmates_. People I had studied and learned with – trained with and failed with. People whose families I knew and–

I didn't realize I was crying until my goggles began slick and uncomfortable; Mangetsu had the decency not to comment as I pulled them down and wiped them clean.

"You're going to do fine." His chakra was comforting as it churned worriedly; swirling around us gently.

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There were twenty four of us standing there; surrounded by the arena I had been standing alongside with Mangetsu. Kisame had shown up to ruffle my hair just before I stepped down, whereas I hadn't seen Suigetsu the entire time. Though I suppose he was probably worrying about his own fight right now. I was pained I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to one of my few acquaintances. The arena was full of parents cheering for their own child – though the only one that caught my own attention was my mother's cool voice echoing down on me.

"Do NOT disappoint me, Hato Kenshin." It was the voice from my childhood – the one she used around the man I was forced to call father.

She was angry.

I took my taijutsu stance slowly, eyes flaring my chakra net out as I exhaled the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I wasn't blind to the fact I was going to be one of the first targets – I was known for being a pacifist, not to mention my meek nature – seeing as I was the top of my class. I needed to channel my darker side.

_Hesitation will get you killed._

_Mercy will get you killed._

Emotions_ will get you killed._

Everyone's got one of those, right?

"Begin!" The Mizukage – my uncle, Yagura; the man I needed to save – commanded from his perch above us, bodyguards on either side. I reacted first. The unfortunate girl had been focused on her friend across from her (saying final goodbyes, I assume) and my kunai planted itself right in her temple before said friend charged me and I was forced to flip away. I was pleased that my ability to feel by chakra was growing so rapidly, otherwise my accuracy may have been more horrendous.

Immediately after my initial attack it was a free-for-all; the girls friend who charged me was taken down by a quick jolt of chakra that I suspected may be a water bullet.

I mostly dodged – though I did manage to take down two other classmates; assisted in the death of nearly all of them – before I realized, much to my relief, I had made it to the final seven. However, they apparently realized it as well; I saw a pair charging at me from my left. Their chakra was focused; immediately I knew they must have had a joint attack in the making as I hissed softly. Shockingly, it was an earth wall to my rescue was I leapt back; letting out a yelp of surprise as I was hit with a heavy blast of water and planted against the arena wall. From the semi-familiar, fading chirping sounds, I apparently missed a blast of lightning to mix with it.

I saw their chakra – now much smaller - as they made their way towards me again; I slummed down and gasped for much desired oxygen. My earth-using savior was apparently down for the count, and I whispered a soft thank you to the air as the duo darted into my range. Without much thought I threw my leg out in a weak attempt to trip one of them before rolling back into a standing position. A third classmate came from behind me and I narrowly missed a lethal blow to the head (not that taking a wound to the shoulder felt much better), a scowl pulling into place as I realized it was just us four now – and they were apparently going to play three-versus one.

"Cowards." I grumbled as I tugged off my gloves (quickly followed by the weights around my calves), hearing my mothers disapproving shout from the stands before I leapt back to avoid a sudden flare of chakra – only to be pelted by senbon upon landing. My body ached as I resisted the urge to collapse to my knees, hissing softly instead and bracing myself in my usual stance. There was a part of me screaming not to blast them to pieces – to remember what they said about using my ability publically – but I couldn't hear it over my self-preservations own screech. There had to be a medium; I supposed if I wasn't going to live to find out then this would be the time to see. I focused my energy on keeping it at the lowest possible power, pleading with myself not to make it too obvious.

I was shaking as the first one made the mistake of getting too close and I pressed my palm against his chest before twirling and elbowing him in the jaw. He went to his knees before there was a flicker and his chakra faded out, though I didn't have time to marvel as the other two began another weapon-based assault and I was flipping to escape.

Their signatures were steadily decreasing as I continued avoiding; searching for my opening I couldn't physically see. I had never loved Daddy as much as I did in that moment for beating speed into me. Speed was where I had the advantage, and I had every plan of using it as I lurched towards one of them and – internally screaming in victory – I made contact with her forehead. My fist connected with her lightly, but it was more than enough as her chakra signature lurched in surprise before flickering out of existence.

One left.

Desperation was clouding my mind as I leapt at the last contestant standing in the way of my life. They were wise enough to dodge, much to my frustration; we began a game of cat and mouse. I was now on the offensive, to my joy. However, I took a moment to remove some of the weaponry currently embedded in my flesh and a slow smile spread across my face. _Maybe…_

I faked a few handseals for the sake of peace – channeling my explosive chakra nature into the needles littering my body as I pulled them out; gaze flickering around to find the weak chakra signature that was my opponent. A flick of my wrist sent the senbon flying; shortly afterward there was a familiar blast of explosive power. Had he not cried out, I may have missed him shooting out of the dusty chakra-mixed mess, but he did; I immediately gave chase to the boy. I threw another chakra-infused weapon and it missed the blue form by inches, landing firmly in the ground behind him before exploding.

"I forfeit, I forfeit!" The boys shouts gave me pause, halting my movement as he stopped his. Him probably staring at my battered body while I stared at his weakly flickering chakra signature.

There was no sign that the fight was to be stopped after a moment of silence, and I slowly approached his form and extended my hand. Glancing upward, I caught sight of Yaguras' chakra – swirling in agitation and obvious disgust – and knew he wasn't going to stop the fight.

Which is why when the boy placed his hand in mine - his chakra flickering in relief - I offered an apologetic smile before his chakra froze from the usual lively movement before flickering into nothing.

His grip slipped from mine as he collapsed, and I felt myself sway slightly.

Then I blacked out.

* * *

I just want to throw out there that this is JUST AN INTRO. It's a bunch of clips and snippets of information, but the real story hasn't even started yet so don't freak about being confused. You're supposed to be right now because she is, and it's from her perspective; I'm not great at writing first person POV so everybody just take deep breaths and bare with me. If you have questions: reviews are great and I will be happy to answer any and all. Constructive criticism is also great and appreciated.

Now,

1.) Hato, Mangetsu, Kisame, and Suigetsu are NOT FRIENDS YET. They will be (obviously) but they are not yet. More along the lines of taking pity on her / assisting a future comrade [because she's to be mentored by Ameyuri Ringo]. I believe the Seven Swordsmen don't just "happen" and that they're selected young, so that's the twist I'm using.

2.) This does not completely follow cannon exactly - very little, really. Hence "semi-AU". Don't freak.


	2. Chapter 2

I've decided this story will be updated once a month [if all goes well]. Usually around the 20th, if I can manage it.

c:

Enjoy, guys!

- Razz

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Mei Terumi was my new sensei; to say I was absolutely shocked didn't even begin to sum it up. After all, she was a powerful kunoichi – and someday she would become Mizukage. I was honored to be her student, even if she didn't know this yet. I wasn't quite certain how I knew it either, but I had long ago learned to just go with the snippets of information that I got every now and again. I had been paired with an ecstatic Suigetsu and a shy boy named Chōjūrō. It was a nice mix, in my opinion. Unfortunately, as Suigetsu pointed out when we all met up at our training grounds, I was the youngest, and therefore both boys became bothersome guardians. Even me walking to the training grounds alone was apparently blasphemy, as one on either side of me currently indicated.

"So when is Ringo-sensei going to start training you, Hato?"

"I still have heard nothing about getting any training from her." I muttered, not missing the amused twirl of his chakra as he patted my head.

"I'm sure it'll be any day now. They're lacking in Swordsmen right now." I blinked my sightless eyes in surprise. Lacking swordsmen? I flittered through the information in my head quickly, counting how many there currently were.

Fuguki, Kushimaru, Jinpachi, Ameyuri, Jinin… So they only needed two more. But whomever was planning to join up was going to end up wielding the executioners' blade or Hiramekarei. There was a twitch in my mind that was mildly annoyed by this – those weren't the swords I wanted to wield. I would have to wait for the next generation or murder the Swordsmen whose sword I wanted.

…

_I think I can wait._

"H-Hato-chan?" Chōjūrō vied for my attention as we finally reached our training grounds; I gazed steadily at his chakra.

"Just Hato. Yes?"

"How… did you do that? At the arena, I mean." He murmured and I resisted the urge to scowl. People had been questioning me about my match since I managed to pass – when I blacked out, I was apparently rushed to the hospital due to blood loss, whoops – and it was mildly annoying. I was getting tired of giving my fake explanations; really, it wasn't good team-bonding to lie to this guy in particular.

"It's a kekkei genkai." My vague answer seemed to appease him as Mei arrived, greeting us with a lovely swirl of joyful chakra. Unfortunately, there was a few other signatures that joined – two of them being Kisame and Mangetsu – that made me wince. Why were the Seven Swordsmen here?

"Before we do anything as a team, Mizukage-sama insisted I introduce you to your would-be second-sensei. Once it's confirmed if you're Swordsmen worthy we'll continue with our own training; you'll meet with them afterward." Mei explained enthusiastically. One of the new chakras approached me specifically and I tensed slightly before something was held out to me. Flaring my chakra, I identified it as Kiba; I flinched.

"And what happens if the sword you're supposed to train under rejects you?" Suigetsu asked lazily, and I heard a familiar slurping noise before a quick sliver of information flashed through my head. Nuibari.

"Then you don't get to be a Swordsmen, obviously." Kisame snickered in response as I hesitated, frowning thoughtfully. That seemed wrong. The sword chooses the owner, but the owner should be able to test every sword. There would never be Swordsmen, otherwise.

My thoughts focused on Nuibari. The sewing needle. Kushimarus sword.

I wanted it.

Almost immediately I felt a jolt of chakra heading my direction and reached out – grabbing the flighty instrument and almost gaping as it hummed in my hand. Something smooth - strings? - began coiling around my arm and I almost flinched as it dug into my skin; drawing my blood. There was a fleeting aggravation with the fact it cut through my jacket sleeve, though the feeling of an apparently very possessive sword took my attention.

"Well, Kushi-san, it looks like you've got a student." Ameyuri teased – her chakra swirling in dark amusement as the irritated Kiba was put back at her sides. I almost breathed a sigh of relief, but a tightening of the strings on my arm alerted me to the larger teen now hovering over me and – to my absolute _horror _– tracing the strings tied so tightly around me. My grip was still firm around Nuibaris hilt; the sword was letting out a lower hum I somehow knew meant it was irritated with Kushimaru. Did all the swords do this? Were they all this connected?

"Nuibari." His voice was a raspy sigh, calling the sword back with a bit of agitation and I couldn't help it – I blushed. This was awful and embarrassing. The sword responded to him stubbornly; burying the (rather sharp) edges of its strings in my arm. The sword wanted me as much as I wanted it; it was arguing with Kushimaru, which could only mean the male was going to reject training me. That was alright, though, considering I could just take Nuibari after his death. He was supposed to die young anyway; I could get a few years of training first–

"Nuibari." I hissed as the weapon buried itself further into my arm and it immediately stopped. "That's enough. Release." Like a sulking child the strings slid out of my arm slowly; uncoiled from my arm even more slowly. There was quiet snickering from those in the area as the weapon shook violently in my grip – angry with me, I somehow sensed – before I hesitantly offered it back to Kushimaru.

"Even if you refuse to teach me, I'm coming for this sword someday." To my surprise, the taller male – that I could somehow see in my mind's eye as a tall, lanky, blond man - giggled a bit. The sound would have been unnerving in any other situation, but at the moment I was more amused than anything. Nuibari was pleased, which I could tell from our apparent connection now.

"I'll teach you." He said simply, before he returned to leave, informing me not to be late when the new trainees met at the Swordsmen's training ground and I couldn't help but smile.

"Sure thing, Kushimaru-sensei."

"Well, now that that's been handled," Mei turned to us cheerfully; I felt the smile breaking her face as she clapped her hands slightly. "We're going to do some team-bond-building!" The two chakras on either side of me twisted in mixed emotions – one bored by the very idea and the other nervously excited – and I cracked another weak smile. I was happy to enjoy something nice and easy for the moment, considering Kushimaru was probably going to beat me into the ground afterward.

"To start, Hato, please read this sheet of paper." I went rigid as the smooth parchment was placed in my hand, scowling to realize it wasn't in braille. I stood perfectly still – not missing the way Mei's chakra curled in satisfaction – and bit my lower lip.

"I… I can't, Mei-sensei." I admitted after a moment, ignoring the confusion on either side of me.

"Maybe if you took of your goggles?" Her voice was too innocent to match up with her sadistically pleased presence as I tugged the head gear down around my neck in irritation. Why was she making me do this? Kiri-nin can't be trusted. They turn on each other at every opportunity; it would be stupid to reveal any weakness to them, even if we are on the same genin team. That doesn't mean much to anyone around here.

"I can't do it because I'm blind." I finally spat, frustration obvious despite my cool expression. Both bodies on either side of me stiffened in shock; their chakra immediately shifting to something near pity. Mei's flared in joy.

"Trust your comrades, Hato. There's no point hiding things from us when we're meant to be a team." Her chiding voice made my face warm considerably. For some reason I was ashamed that I desired to keep it to myself, but from the way Suigetsu shifted uncomfortably beside me I was quickly reminded of my reasons.

"I wasn't hiding it, there's just no point in mentioning it. I am just as capable as anyone else without my sight and therefore–" She suppressed her chakra and I tensed, left worried by her sudden disappearance before there was a kunai at my throat; she appeared behind me.

"It is a handicap; there's no point deluding yourself otherwise. The best thing you can do is work to lessen its effects. _You _are going to work on sensing chakra, while these two are going to practice walking on water." I scowled as she suppressed her chakra; not missing my companions amusement as they walked to the pond nearby.

I'm not sure how long I sat there. Hours, I think. I was there until Suigetsu and Chōjūrō' chakra flickered to just about nothing and then some as we traded. I still couldn't sense Mei-sensei, though, and she led me by the small pool my companions had been practicing on. We were going to be no match for training with the Swordsmen, at this rate. I was able to master water walking rather easily, much to everyone's surprise. I pretended it wasn't because I learned early to avoid blowing everything to pieces before we were finally – sweaty and exhausted – shoved off in the direction of our second sensei's.

Stumbling upon Zabuza, Mangetsu, and Kisame along the way was nerve-wracking enough, but the moment we stepped into the clearing a senbon sliced through my cheek.

"You're late." I lightly wiped the blood that slipped out of the wound with my tattered sleeve, keeping my expression neutral. "All of you are late. Why?" That was most definitely my sensei; I sighed softly to myself as I glanced towards my teammates own nervously flickering chakra. The older trio was apparently more relaxed – though, they had been training with them for a year now. Which could only mean this show was for us newbies, and I rolled my sightless eyes. Great.

"Mei held them up, Kushimaru. I had to go drag them away." Mangetsus' voice surprised me as I opened my mouth to speak; noting the way his chakra twitched in amusement as I turned to gape at him. Despite being very aware that Kushimaru didn't buy it for an instant, my team nodded slightly in agreement. Before anyone else I trusted Mangetsus' judgment – and if he was lying to one of the Ninja Swordsmen I wasn't tossing him under the bus. I mean really, they're known as some of the deadliest ninja _ever_. Luckily, Suigetsu also held this loyalty to his brother; Chōjūrō was too jittery to say much of anything.

"Whatever. Let's go." He grumbled, hopping from his position to the ground and I blinked slightly. What was he sitting on then? Shaking this thought away I followed quietly; after a shove from Mangetsu found my place just behind the tall teen currently leading us. Unfortunately, being so close, his chakra was practically devouring me.

Not that it wasn't lovely – because it was; honestly, I wouldn't mind drowning in it for a while – but it was distracting. Suffocating. The flow and swirls were so hypnotic I had to catch myself from reaching out to it, and instead settle on basking in its glow. My already limited vision was clouded with his calming chakra; when he stopped suddenly I bumped into him, bumping my exposed forehead into his back.

Immediately I stumbled back, though not before inhaling his scent sharply. Jashin, he smelled nice. There was snickering from the others, but I was so disoriented from the tingling sensation in my chest I didn't really notice. It traveled from my chest up my body – numbing my arms and neck and eventually my ears before it tickled my eyes. What _was this?_

" –so watch it, brat." I tuned into his raspy voice, apparently missing his lecture beforehand. Whoops. With a nod of my head I took two paces back and settled between the Hozuki brothers.

Neither of them glanced at me, but they were both containing their obvious amusement pretty well as Kushimaru grumbled something about 'annoying' under his breath. I felt the heat in my cheeks as we were suddenly bombarded with the remaining swordsmen – each going after another student while I narrowly avoided being laced by Nuibari. I felt the swords distaste as it brushed past me and I launched myself away from the fray. Picking up the other chakra signatures in the area, I found that the other students were in similar situations – excluding that Suigetsu and Mangetsu had teamed up against Jinin. Cheating Hozuki bastards. I managed to dodge another attack from Kushimaru, though I landed myself outside of the clearing. I noticed everyone's chakra was fading as he forced me further and further before finally pausing in his attack.

I could have fainted.

"I saw how you handled your exam." He commented, chakra swirling. "You have some kind of a kekkei genkai, right?" I cursed the rather intelligent brute, feeling my hackles rise defensively. Kekkei genkai were frowned upon by the public, though no one openly spat in the users face. Daddy had told me as much when I was brought here.

"Yes." I murmured, feeling nervousness creep into my form.

"Show it to me." Kushimaru ordered and I bristled irritably. Being my sensei, he had the right to order me around for training purposes, but just for his whims? Definitely not. Sensing my irritation, he snickered before advancing in a lazy walk; stopping just in front of me. Again, his chakra invaded my senses and I inhaled sharply, flinching as it tickled my body.

"Show. Me." He hummed, almost playful as he leaned down. I didn't have to see him to know his masked face was level with my own – though paranoia set in when I realized he could see through my lenses so close. His stiffening it was tipped me off that he had noticed, though his chakra immediately became amused as he snatched my goggles; effectively ripping them from my face as I spluttered to put distance between us.

"No wonder you're so clumsy." Kushimaru snorted as I glared at him with sightless eyes.

"Give them back, please." I muttered, eyes narrowed threateningly at him despite the fact I was well aware I couldn't take them from him. He seemed thoughtful and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Show me how you won, and I will." I knew that was about the best I was going to get. I pulled off one of my gloves hesitantly. Targeting the nearest tree after a quick flare of chakra I threw a quick punch; not at all startled this time when the loud blast of power came surging out and deteriorated it almost instantly. He didn't speak for a long moment before I felt my goggles peg me in the forehead. I scrambled to get them back on.

"We're going to work on your balance." My utter horror must have shown on my face because he snickered. "Despite what everyone thinks, it takes more grace than brute force to wield a blade; particularly Nuibari. Follow me." Obedient to a fault I followed the male to one of the small lakes that littered the outskirts of my village. I watched in mild fascination as his chakra flared and thin rods began lifting from the water at various angles and heights. It took a moment before I realized what he was planning and I choked on air.

"Alright, kid. We're going to spar on these rods – you can sense them right?" I nodded. "If you fall in the water, you're going to do ten laps around the field. If you make me fall, I'll start letting you train with Nuibari. You won't touch my sword until you can do so. Sound good?" I could practically hear his smug smirk at the idea I could put him in the water. I'd show him!

"Oh, another thing," He snickered. "No chakra." I must have looked like a gaping fish as I nodded slowly. I debated taking off my weights before deciding that it may be better to train with them on. Always better to be safe than sorry. I followed his lead as we leapt out onto the rods. I am ashamed to admit I stumbled on my landing; even after I managed to get my footing, I couldn't stop swaying.

There was no "Ready? Okay go!" – oh no, there was not! Kushimaru leapt at me without any warning or hints to what he was planning to do. He wasn't there, and then he was; I, like the clumsy fool he thought I was, squeaked loudly and toppled off my perch into the water below after attempting to leap back. I spluttered as I reached the surface, rewarded by the raspy man's laughter as he ordered me out of the water; telling me to run my laps. I did, much to my displeasure, and was more than a bit winded as I took my spot back on another post an hour later.

Again, there was no warning as I lurched back away from the man; just barely catching myself on the posts littering the water. He was a quiet fighter, I realized as I narrowly missed a punch to my poor face; attempting to catch his wrist and toss him in, only for him to reverse the situation as he threw me into the water for the second time. I ran my laps and we repeated this process five more times before he determined I was too exhausted to continue for today.

"You should be ashamed of yourself." Kushimaru commented as he walked away from me, his signature flickering in irritation, though he was obviously amused. "Be back here tomorrow at noon." The order earned a nod before he vanished from my view and I scowled to myself. Turning back to the posts I leapt onto one and decided I was going to be better prepared tomorrow.

.

. .

. . .

"You look like you want to die." Suigetsu commented bluntly as he approached me; I could feel Mangetsu wasn't far behind as the brothers stopped in front of the pond.

"Hush." I grumbled absentmindedly, crouching as I landed on a particularly unstable rod.

"Kushimaru is pushing you hard already, eh?" Mangetsu commented as he leapt onto one of the perches, and I was immediately irked that he was the picture of grace. When I nodded I felt his chakra turn sympathetic as he watched me do a flip onto the next one and narrowly avoid tumbling in the water for the thousandth time today.

"You're too tense; if you relax it'll come easier." He chided as he followed me from post to post, Suigetsu joining shortly. I was pleased when the younger brother swayed slightly; smirking to myself as I shifted.

"Suigetsu told me." Mangetsu finally stated, and I felt myself form the beginnings of a snarl before I caught my reaction and schooled my features to my usual calm. "You should have told us, you know. We could have helped you to deal with it sooner." It appeared as if everyone was going to find out about my disability today; disgust swelled inside me as I stared at my friends playful chakras with narrowed eyes.

"Unless you're planning to help me deal with it now I don't think there's much reason for you to know at all. It doesn't change anything – " Mangetsu was directly in front of me, his chakra swirling with frustration as he snatched my gloved hands to keep me from tumbling off in surprise. I was consumed in chakra again, inhaling sharply as my brain debated with my body over if this was a threat. Unfortunately, my brain was quickly left foggy and confused as the surge of Mangetsus chakra curled around me.

"We're going to help you." Suigetsu interrupted the heated discussion by finding a perch behind me, somehow managing to be equally close to me. Their chakra combined was all-consuming as the tingling sensation began again, making me squirm slightly.

"You need to work on sensing. Obviously, you're pretty good already, but I'm willing to bet if we masked our chakra you would be at an extreme disadvantage, right?" When I nodded hesitantly he released his grip on my hands; leaving me to squeak as I fell backward and was caught loosely by Suigetsu.

"You need to use a sonar." Suigetsu commented simply, and I felt my eyebrow raise. "I'm sure that's what you do anyway, but when someone masks their chakra, their physical body will still block your flow so you can see them. You just have to come up with a way to keep it going for long periods of time."

At what point did Suigetsu get smart? The thought was pushed away as Mangetsu masked his chakra and I tensed with a slight frown.

"We're going to help you practice." And help they did. Shockingly, Suigetsus' theory was entirely right; if I pushed out my chakra and held it, even though Mangetsu was masked, as long as he was in my net I could pinpoint his location from the blockage his body was causing. It was a nice trick.

"I'm going to work on holding it for long periods of time." I informed them as they walked me home. Apparently it was dark and they didn't want to send me home alone, much to my amusement. Both boys on either side felt smug and I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you," My words were barely audible. "I appreciate your help." It was true. So far, the only reason I had managed to survive was by the assistance of the boys. Hell, I'm pretty sure I would have been annihilated had I not gotten training from Mangetsu and Kisame. Had I ever thanked Kisame? I couldn't remember and decided next time he was in the area I would.

"No problem; you're going to need all the help you can get, it looks like." Mangetsu teased and I knew I was probably beat to Hell and looking disgusting. Great. For some reason, his teasing actually had me flustered and it only amplified when I felt Suigetsu toss an arm around my shoulders. Oh dear.

"Yeah, koibito, we've got your back." I couldn't stop the heat that flooded my face; Mangetsu snickered at his brothers antics as I practically gagged on my mortification. This boy, was, like, how old? I mean, physically I was seven, but my inner woman was clawing at her eyes in agony over the joke. Or maybe it was the fact I was flustered and enjoyed the nickname. Did that make me a pedophile? I hoped not.

"Maa, whatever..." I grumbled, shrugging his arm off as we walked; face still pink as I sped up a little. Before I could protest Mangetsu had taken my hand – Suigetsu following shortly after – and I couldn't help but smile slightly. It seemed the Hozuki brothers were to be my permanent companions; that made my heart flutter in gratitude.

I may not know why I liked them so much, but I was glad I had them around.

. . .

. .

.

I was nine before Mei finally decided we were ready to take the Chūnin Exam. After a year of Suigetsu and Chōjūrō I was about ready to hop ranks and get them out of my hair. Chōjūrō, being the gentle soul he truly was, tended to baby me more than needed while Suigetsu was just as much of a flirtatious bastard as he was when I met him. Despite them both being almost two years older than me they were annoying. Zabuza and Mangetsu had advanced to the ranking of Swordsmen; I was shell-shocked that Kisame hadn't advanced over the blood-thirsty brat that was Zabuza, but he seemed content not to. I and the larger male hadn't really grown to be "friends" or anything, but I knew he was trustworthy; that was a sentiment we both shared about the other.

But I digress; I was waiting with my team for Mei as we debated the possibility of survival. This year the exams were to be held in Iwa, which had caused my parents to seethe. They were supportive, though, and I couldn't really say I blamed them. All our experiences with Iwa-nin were awful, after all. It wasn't as if anyone my own age knew of my stress, and that was why the conversation was growing a bit more awkward as they sensed my well-contained distress.

"Maa, I think we can take those pansy-nin." Suigetsu commented; I could feel his smirk. Part of me was mildly offended due to my heritage, but I knew he meant no harm. That, and I was also aware he wouldn't change his tune even if he had known, which was something I respected about him. He was cocky, but he was honest.

"There's no need to be rude, Suigetsu." Chōjūrō commented softly and I felt my lips tug into a weak smile. We had progressed well as a team over the years; though we had initially been irritated with Mei for denying us our first Chūnin Exam, we could now understand why. After Mangetsu and Kisame went through theirs, it became obvious they were nothing to shake a stick at. Their clan-girl teammate had been the most relaxed over the entire ordeal, to my amusement. There was something going on between the girl and Kisame, Mangetsu had told me; this only succeeded to amuse me more. It was wonderful that the heaping mass of chakra had found a companion he was comfortable with outside of us Swordsmen-would-be's. However, I couldn't help a twinge of regret. Maybe she would be able to help him with whatever I had been so compelled to assist with in the beginning.

If they were as close as Mangetsu played them to be, I had no doubt she would be able to succeed in my failed mission.

"What do you think, koibito?" Suigetsu asked cheerfully, though his voice was full of teasing. I narrowed my sightless eyes at the male with a small huff; pacified by his term of endearment. Unsurprisingly, he had kept it after my first flustered reaction, and Mangetsu had picked it up as well. Part of me was still flustered, but I had brushed up on my maintaining of my composure with Kushimaru.

"Of course we will do well. We can't afford not to." I murmured, my voice holding a slight sigh. Even after all the time I spent with my Swordsmen sensei, I had yet to begin training with Nuibari. The others had finally found teachers in the new advancements – Chōjūrō sticking to Mangetsu like glue while Suigetsu pestered Zabuza – but my own teacher was as difficult as ever. I had no doubt now that he hated my presence; he didn't try to hide it in his rough training methods and constant torment. Though, I was pleased he had more recently praised my growing kenjutsu skills. It wasn't 'wow, you're doing great' as much as 'you don't suck as bad as usual' but a compliment from the masked man was hard to find and I wasn't going to complain.

Mei finally arrived and we began the trek towards Iwa. Somehow, I felt as though this was going to take much longer than usual; another sigh threatened to slip past my lips. Before we could leave the village, however, we were stopped by – to my inner dismay, might I add – my parents and uncle. Yep. Yagura just blew everyone's mind by casually dropping by and I felt my throat constrict as he addressed my team.

"I expect you to make Kirigakure proud." Yagura seemed almost uncomfortable with his statement as I stared at his chakra with a slight frown. My parents were here as well, which was making me even more disturbed before our oh-so-noble-leader continued. "You will be given an escort –" Ah. That explained it then. I had actually been unaware of my mother being a shinobi, but it made sense, all things considered. While the others were introduced to my parents, I was busy being distracted by the second chakra signature encased within the man I was ignoring. It was otherworldly – not to mention _huge _– but it was almost completely masked. Had I not been reliant on seeing chakra to navigate, I didn't doubt I would have completely missed it.

My attention was torn from the man as Mei offered him thanks – as did we – before taking off with my parents now in tow. I could only imagine what their presence meant for me; maybe they had begged for the task so that they could watch me. It wouldn't have surprised me, really, they were nosy that way. I glanced at their chakra and noted how strained they seemed before brushing that idea aside. No, there was something else. I was momentarily reminded of my heritage and felt a sigh forming – they were probably worried I would run into my father while I was there. That made much more sense, really.

I was a bit surprised Mangetsu hadn't been there to wave us off as well – he was involved in all things that involved Suigetsu and myself – before realizing he was probably on a mission. After all, it had been a few days since I saw him, personally, and I made a mental note to ask Suigetsu when it wasn't so eerily silent.

"Hato," I heard my mother's voice as she caught up with me; shifting between myself and Suigetsu. "Are you prepared?" Her voice was casual but I could feel the strain there. She was nervous, from the way her chakra was coiled, and I ached to soothe her. When I nodded, I felt her relax some.

"Of course, I've been training hard for this; my team and I are ready for whatever challenges await." I smiled. She fell back in line with Daddy and it faded to a bit of a scowl. Their presence was unnerving for some reason I couldn't place, but didn't bother to acknowledge it.

I had an exam to pass; I needed a clear head.

That was all I kept telling myself when we stopped and made camp that night before I fell asleep.

* * *

The "clan girl" she keeps referring to on Mangetsu and Kisames' team is a slight reference to **Clearing Mist** by **shadownumera**. Because I love it, and I ship Toki and Kisame harder than Kisame and Hinata, which is saying something for me. Soyeah, it isn't a direct usage of her character, but I couldn't resist adding that little Easter Egg for myself.

I suggest everyone check it out, even though it isn't in the Recommended Reading portion of my profile [ONLY BECAUSE IT IS IN PROGRESS AND NOT COMPLETE, MAY I ADD]; it's totally worth the look.


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